More than 19,000 sitios still without power

TACLOBAN CITY- The National Electrification Administration (NEA) is open for private companies to come in and help energize the more than 19,000 sitios across the country which remain without electric supplies.
This was disclosed by NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong who was in the city Thursday(July 12) afternoon en route to his visit to Calbayog City to attend the agency-sponsored Lumens Awards for outstanding electric cooperatives in Eastern Visayas.
But this early, Masongsong was quick to say that even though it would be a private sector, which he called as qualified third party (QTR), that would provide electricity to these unserved communities, power rate would still be minimal.
“The QTR will charge subsidized rate meaning if for example, its P18 per kilowatt hour just like our experience in Palawan, P8 is being charged to the consumers while the remaining P10 is being subsidized by the government through the so-called universal charge missionary electrification (UCME) which is collected from all the consumers all over the country to help the rural folks,” Masongsong explained.
Masongsong said that as of December 21, 2017, there are still 19,740 sitios across the country involving more than 2.4 million households which remain without electric connections.
He said that they have a directive from President Rodrigo Duterte to energize the 19,740 sitios before he steps down in Malacañang in 2022 which will cost P25 billion in all.
The NEA administrator said that for them to serve the 19,740 sitios, they need to have at least P5.2 billion every year.
“But the problem is just like this year, NEA was only given P1.1 billion for 2019. That is why, we are working with the Department of Budget and Management (for a possible increase of the budget),” Masongsong said.
“On the other hand, we are also open to the private sector to come in and energize the unserved rural communities,” he said.
Masongsong said that the cost of energizing per sitios, which are all located in very remote areas, some are located in islands, is about P1.5 million at a minimum.
It was learned from the NEA administrator that of the 19,740 sitios still without power supplies, about 11,000 sitios are located at the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao and in Regions 11 and 12.
Aside from being remote of these sitios, the peace and order situation in Mindanao is the other factor why these sitios remain unserved, the NEA administrator said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Law provides them financial assistance

TACLOBAN CITY- Beneficiaries of a financial assistance in the region source from the TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) Law are calling senators not to suspend its implementation saying it’s a big help to them.
Suspending it would mean a deduction of about P200 a month, an amount that matters to the beneficiaries who are all identified by the government under its 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program).
Some senators, notably Senator Bam Aquino, are calling for the suspension of the TRAIN Law to help cushion the raising inflation rate of the country.
“Please to our senators and our leaders, don’t stop the enforcement of the TRAIN Law. The amount that we receive, no matter how small it is, is really a big help to us poor people,” Nenita Cantanero,40 of Barangay Malibago, Babatngon town in Leyte said Wednesday(July 11).
Malibago was interviewed during a press conference organized by the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development here in the city as part of its information campaign on the update of the implementation of 4Ps in the region.
The 4Ps was first implemented in the region in 2008 covering 10 towns in Northern Samar, considered one of the poorest provinces in the country.
About 283,222 families of the region who are members of the 4Ps are also entitled to receive a financial assistance taken from the TRAIN Law enactment.
On top of the P5,400 a month she is receiving as a 4Ps beneficiary, Malibago is entitled to a P200 per month due to the TRAIN Law.
She is a mother to six children who are in school. Her husband, Reynaldo Jr., has no permanent job.
Lilia Advincula, 46 and from this city, also appealed to those who are seeking for the suspension of the TRAIN Law.
“It’s really a big, big help to us because the amount that we receive from the TRAIN (Law) boosted our assistance as a 4Ps beneficiary,” the mother to four children said.
Her husband, Renato, works as a job order worker of the Department of Public Works and Highways as part of its maintenance crew cleaning up the streets.
Paula Unay, regional program coordinator of 4Ps, said that she is also not in favor to suspend the implementation of the TRAIN Law.
According to her, the P200 monthly assistance, which is to increase to P300 next year, helps the poor.
“After all, it is the poor people that should be given assistance by our government…to help them cushion the rising prices of commodities,” Unay said.(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The reelection of barangay chairwoman Eden Chua Pineda as the president of the Association of Barangay Chairman (ABC) of the city is now but a foregone conclusion.
On Wednesday (July 11), former congressman Florencio ‘Bem’ Noel of the An Waray party-list group gathered 135 out of the city’s 138 barangay chairmen as a show of support on Pineda’s reelection bid as ABC president.
As ABC president, Pineda sits at the city council as an ex officio member to include the city federation president of the Sangguniang Kabataan.
Noel said that before the conduct of the barangay and SK polls held last May 14, 2018, he talked with Pineda, who is the barangay chairwoman of Brgy. 16, and vowed to support her on her reelection bid as ABC president of the city.
The former congressman added that the gathering of the city’s barangay officials at their house was also his way to know the newly-elected barangay chairmen of the city since he was away from politics for three years now.
Noel said that before the May 14 barangay and SK elections, he made a promise to Pineda that he would throw his support on her bid as ABC president.
But the former congressman said that the most important reason why he wanted to meet with the barangay leaders of the city is to help foster unity and work together for the best interest of Tacloban.
“It is always a best decision to be one and not to be divided. After all whatever needs to be done, it is good to do it with unity,” Noel said.
Pineda expressed her thanks for the support Noel had given to her.
She also said that with all officials of the city down to the barangay level working together, Tacloban and its people is sure to benefit it.
“Everybody will be happy that we are one, there’s no conflicts. That all our plans for the city will go smoothly,” Pineda said.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY–A free eye check-up and cataract operation to all men and women aged 60 years old and above is scheduled here in the city next month, coinciding the ‘Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month.’
RTR Medical Program Services, in cooperation with the Philippine Ophthalmologist Society and the congressional office of Leyte Representative Yedda Romualdez of the first district, is calling individuals who have eye problems or who are in need of a cataract operation anywhere in the region to avail of the upcoming Tingog Medical Program next month.
“Those who would like to avail the operation have to visit our office for the laboratory screening, which is also for free. This is not limited to Leyteños only,” said Ivy Jane Dacallos, office manager of Tingog Sinirangan party-list.
For referral check-up and pre-operative screening endorsement, visit the Tingog Sinirangan party-list office at the Community Center corner Real Sagkahan street fronting Tacloban Astrodome, Dacallos said.
“The patient will have to visit Tingog office first for the registration and will proceed to Remedios Trinidad Romualdez (RTR) eye center Out-patient department for the check-up and screening,” she added.
The check-up and screening is open only from 8:30am to 12nn, Wednesday to Saturday.
For 60 years old and above patients, their PhilHealth information is needed to avail the free operation.
“It’s first come, first serve basis. But we have no quota for the number of patients. We’ll have to finish the screening first to identify the possible numbers of patients for the operation,” Dacallos said.
According to Dacallos, this is the first eye operation to be conducted by their group for this year.
Tingog Sinirangan and Rep. Romualdez have already organized four medical programs this 2018.
Its recent Tingog Medical Program was held at Brgy. San Agustin, in Jaro, Leyte on June 20, benefiting over 400 residents in the area.
Free medical, dental and wellness services were delivered through the joint efforts of Tingog Sinirangan, JCI Candahug Liberation, JCI Kulintang Inc., Philippine Association of Medical Technologists Iligan, Philippine Army, and the Local Government of Jaro.
The free medical consultation was provided by the medical team from Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation (RTRMF), Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), Department of Health (DOH)-Leyte Provincial Office and student organization Akma ResBak. (RONALD O. REYES)

CALBAYOG CITY – The construction of a cold storage facility in this city is now in the go as it broke ground on July 6.
The construction of the said facility is an indication of the company’s confidence of the city’s economy, Arturo Yan, owner of the Glacier Refrigeration Services Corp., said.
The company has invested P50 million for the construction of their storage facility located in Barangay Pagbalican.
“The scale is not that huge like in Metro Manila but then again, we need to put investment outside Metro Manila, which is part of our corporate responsibility to put investment in emerging areas like Leyte and Samar,” Yan told members of the media in an interview.
The construction of the storage facility is expected to be completed by October this year. It will open with a 500 pallet space that could store marine and agriculture products.
Yan said that they chose Calbayog City because it is a strategic place to become a distribution hub of key industry players of processed foods, marine, poultry and meat products and for providing support to local production of perishable products that includes agricultural products.
“But we may also expand our investment to other parts of Samar province like in Catbalogan City depending to the decision of our partners,” he said.
Yan added that with the presence of cold storage facility, this will encourage more local entrepreneurs to create products and brands that can be supplied outside the region and even export abroad.
The investment of Glacier in Calbayog City was welcomed by Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento citing that it will provide employment and local producers of the city to have wider markets of their products.
“This facility will help our fishermen to maintain the quality of their catch marine products thus it will not affect the price when they sell it,” he said.
Existing cold storage facilities of Glacier are located in Metro Manila, Bicol Region and Panay Island.
Also present during the ground-breaking were Chino Villanueva, corporate planning officer of Glacier Samar, and former congressman Mel Senen Sarmiento. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

MATALOM,Leyte – Farmers here see economic opportunities as two remote villages in this third-class municipality can already be penetrated by all types of vehicles after the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) rehabilitated the roads in going to Barangays San Vicente and President Garcia.
DAR thru the second phase of the Agrarian Reform Communities Project (ARCP-II) rehabilitated the 3.70-kilometer Esperanza-San Vicente road and the 2.69-kilometer Elevado-President Garcia road.
A double barrel reinforced concrete box culvert and a single barrel, three units reinforced concrete pipe culvert were also constructed along the Esperanza-San Vicente farm-to-market road that would serve as bridge in crossing streams; while in the Elevado-President Garcia farm-to-market road, a single barrel, three units reinforced concrete pipe culvert and slope protection were likewise constructed.
Making sure that travel on both roads will be safe, critical portions were concreted.
Chairman Avelino Acasio of Barangay Esperanza was thankful their road was improved from what used to be a trail where only single motorcycles could pass in going to adjacent Barangay San Vicente. Now, he disclosed that all types of vehicles can already penetrate the area making hauling of farm products for trading fast and easier.
Chairwoman Elda Gato of Barangay President Garcia on the other hand said that with the improvement of the Elevado-President Garcia road, they are now envied by other villages.
Meanwhile, Barangay Elevado Chairman Roselito Palen shared that they find it easy now to travel whether in going to the mountains or in going to the town proper.
About 5,000 residents in these areas, wherein more than 900 are agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), benefited these projects with a combined cost of P18.6-million shared by the national government thru a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the local government unit (LGU).
Thus, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer-I Paulina Canales reminded the recipient barangays during the simultaneous turnover of the said projects recently to maintain the roads in good condition for a period of 10 years, otherwise the loan portion will be shouldered also by the recipient LGUs.
Assistant Regional Director for Program Beneficiaries Development Ismael Aya-ay led the turnover rite and announced on the same occasion other support services DAR is providing particularly to ARB organizations (ARBOs).
In acceptance, Mayor Eric Pajulio thanked DAR for all the assistance it has extended to his town. He likewise encouraged the recipient barangays to allocate funds from their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) for the maintenance of the roads.
Further, Vice Mayor Ma. Nicolina Caube suggested not to allow heavy equipment vehicles to pass these routes during rainy days to preserve the good condition of the roads.
(JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA/PR)